Chris Byrd is naturally more or less the same size as Roy, and had a decent amount of success against a better field of heavys a few years ago. He isn't a fraction of the boxer or athlete that Roy was.

Roy would have a field day with this group of contenders, as well as the champ, and score a few KO's along the way.

Some answers in this thread prove just how much boxing fans can delude themselves into raising up the older boxers on a pedestal. The new guys are all a bunch of nobodies but an old fat and slow Roy Jones would make a good heavyweight? Get real.

I dono man, his speed and his amazing reflexes and skills woulda gotten him pretty far I think. its RJJ we're talking about here. he made ruiz looks foolish. now granted john ruiz is likely the top 3 worst heavyweights / fighters in the history of humanity, roy went up there and dismantled him, and he was a supposed "champion"

i tihnk RJJ coulda beat alot of heavies if he chose to stay there and stayed healthy...

Agree, it was going down to 175 again that really tore him apart. Aged him overnight IMO. Having said that, the options weren't good for Jones in 2003, Tyson (even an old Tyson) or Lewis...

Against today's Wlad he would stand no chance. A few years ago before Wlad properly shored up his defence... Maybe he might have a shot. Similar with Vitali. Definitely couldn't beat him at his peak, but might have a small chance of dancing around current Vitali. I'm just saying maybe, I'd still make outside-prime K2 favourites.

He doesn't bring real heavyweight weight to the division, its manufactored weight. He has very little power against the bigger men and at his best he's 180 tops and still his power can't stop the bigger men. He's not Dempsey or Marciano who have bigger punches at 185 to 191 than the 235+ men have so Roys at a huge disadvantage!
Take any of these current heavies and bring them down to 6'1" at 180 and Roy destroys them, the fantasy stuff gets pretty silly at times. Atleat keep them in their best divison!! Ray